Stark's Latest: Griffey, Daniel Cabrera, Lidge

ESPN's Jayson Stark has a new column up; it's a must-read. Stark examines the impact of ten deals made last offseason; check it out. Because of last year's surprise playoff clubs, teams may wait extra long this year before throwing in the towel and trading veterans. As Peter Gammons has noted, Ken Griffey Jr.'s 2009 option will be an impediment in dealing him. Even if the Reds find a suitor Griffey will probably want that $16.5MM guaranteed for '09. Daniel Cabrera will be available again this summer. The Orioles should trade him as soon as possible; the .213 BABIP and...

Odds And Ends: Clemens, Soria, Randolph, Mulder

A couple of notes for this Thursday afternoon. Bob Watson, GM of the U.S. Olympic baseball team, says Roger Clemens is not welcome. "We don't need that type of distraction," said Watson. Should the Royals give Joakim Soria a shot as a starter? I'm always inclined to say yes. If he fails in the rotation, just bump him back to the bullpen. Same logic goes for Joba Chamberlain. In a minor trade, the Astros have sent 34-year-old lefty Stephen Randolph to the Phillies for a player to be named later. Randolph was 0-1 with a 1.23 ERA in AAA this...

Buster Olney Drops Uncommon Trade Thoughts

Buster Olney talks trade in his latest insider-only piece. Let's have a look at the guys he names. Ryan Howard. This is a tough one. Philly is in second place right now, and they should be in contention throughout the year. Howard has started poorly, but you can figure a rebound. While the Phillies might not be eager to pay Howard $25 to $30MM over the next two years, some other team might. I figure they could get a decent haul from, say, the Angels. Still, it's hard to justify trading away your best power hitter (at least in name)...

Odds & Ends: Kennedy, Rays, Bonds, Wagner

And now for something completely different, Odds and Ends: ESPN reports that the Yankees optioned Ian Kennedy to Triple-A. To take his place, they recalled Darrell Rasner who in 5 Triple-A games is 4-0 with 0.87 ERA and 27 K in 31 IP. Kennedy relies on control and control he has had not. He has the highest percentage of working into hitters counts of anyone in the bigs. The Rays are the first team ever to hold the first pick in back-to-back years, and unlike last year when they selected David Price without thinking twice, they are presently undecided. According...

Phils Still Looking For Lefty Relief Help

David Murphy quotes Phillies GM Pat Gillick as saying he's still looking for lefthanded relief help. Recently signed lefty Steve Kline is in the mix to fill the role, but isn't a lock. Kline's currently with the Phils' Triple A club. The Pirates' John Grabow would be a nice addition; he's thrown twelve scoreless innings. Damaso Marte is also probably available. Ron Mahay, George Sherrill, Scott Schoeneweis, Jamie Walker, and Royce Ring are other possibilities in my mind. But since the Phils already have J.C. Romero doing a nice job, maybe they'll just pick up a lower-cost guy like Ray...

Stark's Latest: Oswalt, Tejada, Upton, Burrell

Check out the latest column from ESPN's Jayson Stark. Stark talked to one exec who believed the Astros' baseball people might consider a Roy Oswalt trade, but owner Drayton McLane never would. The exec also questioned whether the Astros would've given up a bounty of five players to acquire Miguel Tejada if they'd known the player's true age. Stark implies that the Upton brothers are eyeing big bucks and aren't likely to sign extensions. Stark's sources believe the Phillies will offer Pat Burrell something like two years and $14MM. He'll probably want significantly more than that.

Odds and Ends: Burrell, Pedro, Fukudome

Today's link collection. Jon Heyman notes that Pat Burrell only wanted to go to the Yankees or Red Sox when the Phillies tried to trade him a few years ago. They're not great fits, but perhaps Burrell will have those two clubs at the top of his list when he hits free agency. Ross Newhan looks at the Dodgers' trade of Pedro Martinez for Delino DeShields. He rates it the worst in franchise history. He also names the Brad Penny acquisition as the fourth-worst. Josh Kalk takes a look at Kosuke Fukudome's hot start for RotoAuthority. The Dodgers and Juan...

2008 Draft: Philadelphia Phillies

We'll be looking at the 2008 draft over the next few months here at MLBTR. Mike Arbuckle, the Phillies assistant GM, took some questions from fans regarding the draft and the team's farm system. Here are the highlights: When asked what positions the Phils are seeking, Arbuckle gave the right answer. "You have to be very careful about trying to draft toward a particular position, simply because of the time it takes to develop players to get to the big leagues...So you try to draft the best available player in each round, the guy that we would view as having...

Odds and Ends: Tejada, Howard, Johnson

Couple more odds and ends this evening... Orioles executive VP Mike Flanagan admitted he wouldn't have signed Miguel Tejada to a six-year deal if he knew the shortstop's proper age. But he still would've signed him (if possible). People are debating whether ESPN ambushed Tejada with his birth certificate...of course they did. Ken Rosenthal believes the optimal course of action for the Phillies is to just let Ryan Howard play out the string and then let him walk as a free agent after the 2011 season. Rays Index says the Dan Johnson acquisition signals a "win-now" attitude for the Rays.

Stark's Latest: Stanton, Hamels

ESPN's Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings column up. The Rays may have a pitching surplus when Scott Kazmir and Matt Garza return in May. Teams will probably be eyeing Edwin Jackson, Jason Hammel, and Andy Sonnanstine - not that the Rays are anxious to give them up. Jackson seems least likely to go. If I had to pick a team deficiency perhaps it would be their middle infielders. The Phillies have "mild interest" in Mike Stanton, who would like to play for them. The Phils already inked Steve Kline to a minor league deal though. The Braves...

Free Agent Stock Watch: Pat Burrell

Phillies left fielder Pat Burrell was awesome in July and August of last year. Outside of that, he was just decent. He's off to a blazing start in his first 14 games of 2008. He turns 32 in October and can explore free agency after the season. Burrell is earning $14MM this year. Which players might serve as comparables for Burrell's next deal? Carlos Lee is similar, though he was a few years younger when he reached free agency in '06. Lee received $16.6MM per year for six years. Burrell could be compared to Alfonso Soriano, who received an even...

Odds and Ends: Schilling, Piazza, Howard

Tax day roundup... Some mild drama over whether Curt Schilling would consider pitching for the Yankees next year. He reiterated that he won't. It takes two to tango, anyway. Pedro Martinez may be out until June. Nelson Figueroa's chance continues, with Claudio Vargas as the backup plan. The Mets still have a solid rotation without Pedro. Mark Healey has heard rumblings that the Reds and Yankees are looking at Mike Piazza. Phillies Nation on why they would trade Ryan Howard. Bill Barnwell looks at the four trades Randy Johnson trades. I thought the Unit looked respectable last night, though it's...

Snyder Accepts Minor League Assignment

MONDAY: Snyder has cleared waivers and accepted his assignment to Triple A, as suggested by Sarah Green back on April 5th. FRIDAY: According to Jeff Horrigan of the Boston Herald, the Tigers, Rays, and Phillies have interest in recently-designated pitcher Kyle Snyder. Snyder, now 30 years old, was the seventh overall pick by the Royals in the 1999 draft. He was tolerable as a middle reliever for the Red Sox last year, though his control was poor. He had two labrum surgeries in '03 and '04, and that injury reoccurred in '05. The Royals designated him the following year, and...

Phillies Sign Steve Kline

According to Scott Lauber, the Phillies signed veteran lefty Steve Kline to a minor league deal. Kline had been released by the Giants. The Phils recently added Rudy Seanez to their bullpen as well. Might as well stock up and hope that a few guys work out. Kline, 35, had a career low strikeout rate in '07. Lefties hit .318/.375/.365 off him. Kline is known for his colorful personality.

Marlins Acquire Wes Helms

TUESDAY: The Fish are only taking on Helms' $750K buyout; the Phillies will cover the other $2.15MM. SATURDAY: According to an FSN broadcast via RotoWorld, the Marlins acquired Wes Helms from the Phils for cash. So I guess that means the Fish were willing to take on the $2.9MM owed to him? If so, quite a commitment for them. Helms, 32 in May, had his best year with the Marlins in '06. He posted a .965 OPS in 240 ABs, facing lefties almost half the time.

Olney's Latest: Lidge, Shields, Eveland, Lahey

Here are some trade-rumor-tidbits from Buster Olney this morning: For the first time in his career, Scot Shields was activated from the DL and rookie pitcher Rich Thompson was sent down to Triple A. The Angels had hoped to keep the kid around but last friday's 1 inning, 5-run meltdown assured his ticket out. A likely story: Dana Eveland is making Billy Beane look smart. He shut down the Indians for 7 innings yesterday, striking out 7. When Dan Haren was sent to Arizona for 6 prospects, Tim thought the Dbacks won and suggested Eveland could be a back of...

Phils Designate Lahey For Assignment

Earlier today, the Phillies activated closer Brad Lidge from the 15-day DL and, to make room for him on the roster, designated young right-handed reliever Tim Lahey for assignment as foreseen. He'll now be looking for his fifth job in as many months. The wandering Lahey has already been part of the Cubs, the Rays, and the Twins. He's still relatively new to pitching, having been converted by the Twins from catching. He posted a 3.45 ERA in 78 and a third innings at AA New Britain last year, and gave up three runs in three innings at AAA Rochester....

Stark's Latest: Bonds, Howard, Vargas

ESPN's Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings up; let's take a look. Stark surveyed execs from three teams about why Barry Bonds remains unemployed. They provided the answers you'd expect, and collusion isn't one of them. One of the team officials believes a major injury to one of the 14 DHs could very well result in a Bonds signing. Related note: Gary Sheffield just tore a tendon in his finger. Meanwhile, Joel Sherman speculates that Bonds would be a nice match with the Blue Jays. There are signs that Ryan Howard wants an unprecedented contract - he won't...

Helms Designated For Assignment

3:07pm: According to David Murphy, Helms has been DFA'd. Any suitors will probably try to wait it out so as not to pay his salary. 8:53am: Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News says it's likely that Wes Helms will be moved by Saturday, when closer Brad Lidge is set to come off the DL. Hagen suggests the Dodgers as a good fit. Ned Colletti could offer up a player to be named later, or just wait and see if the Phils release Helms. He has $2.9MM left on his contract. The Dodgers had been eyeing Alex Cintron and almost...

Phillies Sign Rudy Seanez

12:20pm: Scott Lauber quotes Phils GM Pat Gillick as having no interest in southpaw relievers Mike Stanton and Steve Kline. Also, it's likely Wes Helms or Tim Lahey will be let go to make room when Brad Lidge comes off the DL this weekend. 8:55am: According to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times, the Phillies have signed reliever Rudy Seanez. The 39 year-old had been released by the Dodgers last week. The Phils mark Seanez's 12th organization. He can be homer-prone, but he wasn't terrible last year in posting a 3.79 ERA and 8.64 K/9 with the Dodgers in 76...

Odds And Ends: Quintero, Rios, Pierre

A few random notes from around the MLBiverse... Henry Schulman says the Giants are in need of a backup catcher and a logical choice may be Astros backup Humberto Quintero, whom Bruce Bochy is familiar with from his days with the Padres. He also notes that the Rays have two experienced catchers that were just reassigned to the minor leagues in Josh Paul and Mike DiFelice. The Jays and Alex Rios are closer today to an agreement on a long-term extension than they were yesterday. That according to Rios' agent, Paul Kinzer. Yesterday it was reported that the Jays had...

Rosenthal's Latest: DeWitt, Murton, Vargas, Hatteberg, Pena, Baek, Piazza

Ken Rosenthal has his latest column up at FoxSports.com. As usual he is not shy about stirring up rumors. Let's take a look at what the rumor-guru has to say: Rosenthal notes that the Dodgers will go with Blake DeWitt at third base who has never played a game above AA. This comes after the Dodgers failed to acquire either the Astros' Mark Loretta, who was unavailable and the Royals' Esteban German, who was too expensive. The Royals were asking for the Dodgers' third best prospect, shortstop Chin-Lung Hu. He indicates that the Padres and the Rays are pursuing Matt...

Odds And Ends: Lahey, Gibbons, Freel

A couple minor notes this morning... The Phillies claimed reliever Tim Lahey off of waivers from the Cubs. Lahey was the top pick in the Rule 5 draft from the Twins' system. The Cubs had to expose Lahey to waivers prior to offering him back to the Twinkies. Rule 5 rules still apply with the Phillies, so Lahey must remain on their 25-man roster all season or be offered back to Minnesota. John Fay notes that after the Reds latest round of cuts the roster sits at 26 which could open the door for a trade. He doesn't offer any...

Odds And Ends: Eaton, Balfour, McAnulty

Couple of minor notes for this Friday afternoon: Paul McAnulty, who is out of options, is going to make the Padres 25-man roster. With Scott Hairston filling in for injured Jim Edmonds in center, McAnulty could get a fair share of playing time in left. The other candidate for playing time is Jody Gerut. It appears the Rays have decided on their final bullpen spot, giving the job to Scott Dohmann. The loser in this deal is Grant Balfour, who is out of options. The Australian reliever has some promise, and I would imagine will be claimed on waivers. Not...

Reds Shopping Freel?

John Fay, writing on his Reds Insider blog, notes that the reason for the lack of cuts in Reds camp is that they might be looking to move Ryan Freel. He didn't elaborate much, other than to say he heard talks of Philadelphia, Minnesota, "and others." Freel is pretty versatile, having handled all three outfield positions, as well as second and third base. The Twins could use his bat in the lineup. But where would he play? Second? Displace recently-acquired Carlos Gomez in center field temporarily? Or just a utility role? The same situation appears to be in place in...

Phils Talking To Giants, Reds About Helms?

THURSDAY: Jim Salisbury says the Helms for Kline idea has fallen through, and Hal McCoy nixes the Helms for Stanton possibility. WEDNESDAY: The Phillies would like to conclude their offseason by swapping third baseman Wes Helms and the $2.9MM owed to him for a lefty reliever. According to Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News, the Phils are talking to the Giants and Reds about Helms. Steve Kline ($1.75MM) or Mike Stanton ($3.5MM) are the targets. The Reds may deem Stanton too pricey to cut. The Giants recently picked up Jose Castillo, but they also lost Kevin Frandsen. Moving Kline...

Benson Stays With Phillies

Rehabbing starter Kris Benson chose not to opt out of his contract with the Phillies; his window to do so has passed. According to Todd Zolecki and Jim Salisbury, his contract was restructured yesterday to allow him to opt out on May 15th if he's not on the Phils' 40-man roster. Benson, 33, had surgery a year ago to repair a partially torn rotator cuff. He signed a minor league deal with the Phillies in February. Do the Phillies have sufficient depth behind Brett Myers and Cole Hamels? Kyle Kendrick, Jamie Moyer, and Adam Eaton have the last three slots....

Miguel Cabrera Signs Extension

4:08pm: John Lowe has the year by year breakdown and adds that there are ten teams Cabrera can be traded to without his permission. TUESDAY, 12:44pm: Cabrera's seven-year extension is official. $20MM a year is a solid price for 25 year-old superstar who has never been injured. And Cabrera sets himself up for one more massive deal, just like A-Rod did. MONDAY, 8:57am: Though we don't have an official announcement and press conference from the Tigers yet, it's obvious that an agreement has been reached. Sabernomics thinks Cabrera will be worth $268MM over this time period; PECOTA feels differently. Cabrera...

Odds and Ends: Giles, Crisp, A-Rod

Nothing huge cooking this morning, so here are some odds and ends. Doesn't look like the Dodgers will acquire Marcus Giles. Rany Jazayerli writes about how Kansas City is home to many of the country's best baseball journalists. On a related note, the Star's Sam Mellinger has a chat with Brian Bannister on his blog. Coco Crisp rattles off the trade rumors he's heard: Cubs, Sox, A's, Padres. No deal appears imminent, though Crisp was healthy enough to pinch-run this morning. John Harper snags an exclusive with Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod admitted he chose the Rangers over the Mets for money...

Braves Expect Trades

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's David O'Brien talked to Braves GM Frank Wren, and he learned that Wren expects to "make a deal or two." DOB says the Braves are looking to add a proven bench bat. They can spare an out of options reliever from the group of Blaine Boyer, Chris Resop, Tyler Yates, and Royce Ring. O'Brien sees Yates as the one to go. Catcher Brayan Pena and first baseman Scott Thorman are other possible trade chips. As for who's coming to Atlanta, O'Brien pretty much ruled out Reed Johnson and Robert Fick. He considers Wes Helms a possibility. The...

Stark's Latest: Roberts, Fuentes, Lofton

ESPN's Jayson Stark has a new blog post jam-packed with hot stove rumors. The Cubs are getting frustrated with the Brian Roberts situation, wondering if they'll ever complete this trade. The Orioles are scouting players but still haven't given the Cubs the names they crave. I got the exact same vibe from the source who told me Jose Ceda's inclusion was never proposed by the Cubs. The Tigers and Phillies are both hunting for bullpen help; Detroit's sights are set higher than Philadelphia's. Unwanted players such as Wes Helms and Brandon Inge aren't in demand. And while Marcus Thames is...

Odds and Ends: Rivera, Hamels, Sherrill

Here's today's gathering of links. John Shea examines the Giants' roster crunch, which would be greatly relieved by trading Dave Roberts and Steve Kline. Adam Rubin implies that the Angels want too much from the Mets for Juan Rivera - Jon Niese or Bobby Parnell. A deal seems unlikely. Cole Hamels, accused by a heckler of being a cross between Casey Fossum and Shawn Camp. BURNED! Buster Olney is hearing from other teams that the Orioles may shop 30 year-old newly anointed closer George Sherrill this summer. Joe Christensen believes that we'll learn about Joe Nathan's future with the Twins...

What To Do With Wes Helms?

In the 2006-07 offseason, Wes Helms had just finished his best year (in terms of rate stats, at least). He hit .329/.390/.575 for the '06 Marlins, facing a disproportionate number of lefties. David Bell and Abraham Nunez had combined for an OPS under .700 at the hot corner for the '06 Phillies, so they figured Helms would be an upgrade even stretched as a full-timer. They gave him a two-year, $5.45MM deal with a $3.75MM club option for '09. Part of the motivation was to save money for an Alfonso Soriano bid. Plus, Mark DeRosa had already signed with the...

Odds and Ends: Dan Johnson, Baldelli, Soria

Let's round up some linkage. Last Thursday I appeared on WVOX 1460 out of New York with Russell Mafes. You can download the file here (it's about 12 mb and 16 minutes long). Jim Hendry is very candid about the Cubs' desire to add a right-handed hitting outfielder who can handle center. Mike Sweeney's success and good health could mean Dan Johnson is on his way out of Oakland. Jim Salisbury says the Phillies might have taken Rocco Baldelli 15th in the 2000 draft instead of Chase Utley, if they'd had the chance. Would the Mets or Dodgers have taken...

Cafardo's Latest: Fuentes, Sowers, Laffey

Boston Globe baseball writer Nick Cafardo's Sunday column has new hot stove material, as usual. Cafardo notes that Kyle Snyder, Julian Tavarez, and Bryan Corey have all been heavily scouted by other clubs. Snyder is out of options, so he's a good trade candidate. Cafardo mentioned on Thursday that the Orioles were taking a look at Corey, who might return to Japan if he doesn't join a big league 'pen. I imagine the Sox are going to want the insurance Tavarez provides. The Phils are hunting for a southpaw reliever and another starter. Brian Fuentes remains on their radar, but...

Odds and Ends: Inge, Salcedo, Corey, Nathan

I write this odds and ends post with two less wisdom teeth than I had yesterday. Looks like applesauce for dinner. Jon Heyman says the Dodgers and Tigers haven't talked lately, and doesn't see L.A. taking on Brandon Inge's $19.1MM. Aside from the standard Giants suggestion, Heyman puts on his speculation cap and wonders whether Inge could catch for Houston. What is J.R. Towles, chopped liver? This is questionable, but hey, it's a Friday. Hi5 is a popular social networking site in Central America. A reader sent me a link to this page, which may belong to future superstar kid...

Rosenthal's Latest: Roberts, Horacio, Willits

Rumor guru and baseball insider Ken Rosenthal has a new column at FOX Sports. Let's discuss. Rosenthal does not see the Cubs taking on the salaries of both Brian Roberts and Coco Crisp, even if they shed their Jason Marquis commitment. Roberts remains the focus. Horacio Ramirez's agent says seven clubs have already expressed interest in his client. Perhaps he meant to say 0.7. Rosenthal runs through many Rocco Baldelli replacement options for the Rays: Reggie Willits, Kenny Lofton,